Father's Day gives us a chance to reflect on the many great men who have influenced our lives. Of course, the first guy that pops into my mind is my dad. My dad is a farmer, so I grew up watching him work long, hard hours. My mom would make sure that dad and his workers had hearty meals to keep them powered up for the work at hand.

Growing up, I didn't have the leisure of getting off the bus and playing with iPads or watching cartoons like kids now. When I got off the bus, it was snack time, homework time, and then get yourself to the barn time. When I think of my dad, I think of riding side by side in the tractor, tilling the soil and planting the seeds in the springtime. I think of the smell of his cold Carhartt jacket and his mint Chapstick lips in the fall harvest season as he worked to bring in the harvest. I think of the warm coziness the cows brought to the barn in the cold winters.

Thinking of the men who made my parents into the great people they are, I think back on my Grandfathers. My paternal grandfather was "Gramps" to me. He, too, was a farmer. Gramps was never seen without his denim coveralls, white undershirt, and farmer cap with the bill flipped up. He was the original character. His thin frame was strong as a tree in the wind.

My maternal grandfather was a prison guard by trade - a job from which he had

View full sizeTotally worth the time to freeze all these little babies last summer! Still enjoying them.Melanie Block | Farm Fresh Food Blog

retired by the time my memories began. I remember times with my Grandpa being spent on his favorite hobby - horses. Grandpa raced harness horses. I think of his gentle nature as he worked with the big horses, and his fine craftsmanship on the sulkies he made. He passed on bits of wisdom as he worked. "They may be bigger than you, but you can't use loud words or hit them. You'll ruin them. Be gentle and teach them to trust you. Trust goes farther than force." I've used this advice in my career as a teacher and in dealing with both my animals and children.

Now that my generation is becoming parents, I look at my husband and the great dad he is to our sons. I see my brother and admire what he's done to become a father through foster parenting and adoption. I watch them share love and raise the next generation of great fathers.

With Father's Day approaching, I also think about the people I know who haven't been as fortunate as I have -- friends, students, neighbors, who have either lost their fathers or never had a good father to look up to. If you've been blessed as I have, share your love with someone who needs it this Father's Day. Share a healthy breakfast like the one I'm sharing, visit with a lonely neighbor, or mentor a child in need. After all, Father's Day is about the influence and love that has been shared with us... why not keep that love and influence going?

Recipe: Crock Pot Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 cups fruit (the recipe called for apples, but I went with blueberries, blackberries & strawberries!)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 cups oatmeal

4 cups water

Directions:

Spray the crock pot with non-stick spray. Add the first three items in the bottom of the crock pot.

Pour 2 cups of oatmeal and 4 cups of water on top.

Do NOT stir.

Cook overnight for 8 - 9 hours on low.

In the morning, stir gently and spoon into bowls. I serve it with walnuts and a touch more brown sugar or a dusting of powered sugar.